A Hop, Step, Jump Away
by Searching.For.Enadi
Summary: Haruno Sakura. Status: Clinically insane, if the floating eggs and sparkling children are to be considered. Wherever the hell she is, it's certainly not in the Five Elemental Nations anymore. (crack of sort).
1. I An Interesting Development

**SE: Yes, you all can shoot me for starting another story that wasn't even ****_in _****the list of stories I wanted to write. But this will probably take the backseat for my other stories, as it was only written to get my muse going. Though there might be a few more coming soon. I'm in the moon for the implausible. **

**Updates for LSK and Troublesome Discoveries will come soon. I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Never have, never will. **

* * *

**A Hop, Step, Jump Away**

Name: Haruno Sakura. Status: Clinically insane, if the floating eggs and sparkling children are to be considered. Wherever the hell she is, it's certainly not in the Five Elemental Nations.

_-World: Naruto/Shugo Chara Crossover_

_-Rating: K – T_

_-Genre: Crack. Plus the other, Adventure/Comedy/Action stuff._

* * *

As a miraculous survivor of countless face offs against immortal old men who were prettier than her, numerous freak accidents from the nilly-willy ways of chakra, and the stupidity that was Naruto, Haruno Sakura is sure she has seen it all.

"Shit, Sakura-chan, look out!"

Then the sky just _has _to split open and swallow her whole.

Literally.

…

Damn. And it is during her break shift too.

* * *

"W-What the – What the hell –"

Sakura is only conscious long enough to take in a few facts:

a) She is probably suffering from a concussion, two broken ribs, a severe cut or two on a tendon, and chakra depletion.

b) She is not in Konoha.

c) Or anywhere else in the Five Elemental Nations.

d) Or probably the universe. (The lack of ambient chakra had slapped her in the face the moment she opened her eyes like one of Sai's attempts at being social: as in, _blatantly obtuse_).

e) Shishou is _so _going to kill her.

f) A huge, ridiculously _fast _object is heading her way.

g) Shit.

And as she flings herself to the left and the object swerves right with a screech, ramen and sake are all that fills Sakura's last thoughts. She feels that nothing else will help to ease the incoming migraine she _knows _will come in the morning.

* * *

"Name?"

"Sakura."

The nurse looks up from her clipboard with a raised eyebrow and saccharine smile.

"No last name?" Sakura pauses and considers her options. Based on the _shitty _interrogation, Sakura highly doubts giving her last name will end her life any quicker than before.

"… Haruno."

Ignoring the chattering nurse who coos at her pink hair, Sakura instead clenches her (tiny) fists and bites her lip hard enough to draw blood.

(The first time she found herself in a body that _wasn't _hers – for Kami's sake, she is _twenty, not ten_ – the doctors had to replace her bed post because she mangled the metal beyond repair).

_Breathe, _Sakura reminds herself, and takes in a deep breath.

Tuning out the woman who is now explaining slowly to Sakura the ways of a checkup (kami, she is a professional _medic_, she shouldn't have to deal with this sort of shit), she instead tries to gather up all the information she has on the current situation.

She has been here for three whole days.

She is in a country called 'Japan,' where the people speak a common language called 'Japanese.'

There are no shinobi, there are no ninja, and there is certainly _no chakra_. (She almost has a coronary burst when she hears from a very confused doctor that _chakra does not exist)._

And lastly…

Sakura looks down at her skinny arms and twig-like legs and she can feel a small part of _die_ inside at the loss of _muscle _and kami, where the hell did that last _decade of training_ go?

And lastly, she is no longer Haruno Sakura; twenty, beautiful, and a badass medic with the ability to hold her alcohol even better than her shishou.

No, she is now 'Haruno Sakura'; estimated ten, tiny, short, cute to the point that it's sickening, a pitiful orphan that has just escaped death by 'car' and is now suffering amnesia, with the ability to hold not even a finger's worth of alcohol her old body could have held.

Believe her, she's tried at least four times in the past three days – and each time leaves her drunk, frustrated, and even closer to being labeled an 'underage alcoholic' by the rest of the hospital.

Kami, she misses sake. And ramen, though that by fault makes her miss Naruto which is _bad _because she is pretty sure he is the reason that she is in this mess.

(When all else fails, there are only four people to blame for the misery-that-is-her-life: Naruto, Tsunade-shishou, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke – though each has their own categories and sub-categories to choose from.

Naruto usually falls into the group of 'this-shouldn't-even-be-possible-what-happened-to-physics' and 'fuck-my-life-what-did-I-do-wrong-in-my-past-life-to-deserve-this.'

…

Well actually, all four sort of land in the latter class).

"All done!" The nurse declares, and Sakura tries her hardest to not twitch her eye in irritation. "Would you like to meet with Kazuma-sensei now, Sakura-chan?"

It takes all of her self-control to not snap the woman's neck (being Tsunade's apprentice has long taught her the troublesome consequences of killing citizens in a foreign land) because damn, she is-was the same age as Sakura – there should be no 'chan' involved.

(She knows she is being unreasonable but three days and she already misses her friends).

So instead, Sakura sucks it all up – just as she has sucked it up when Naruto botches up another B-rank mission and brings its rank up a few notches to an S, or when Tsunade is past the point of just 'drunk' and leaves her to do all the paperwork because Kami knows Shizune is too busy with the hospital to do so, or when –

Yeah. She sucks it all up.

"Yes, please," Sakura smiles winningly up at the nurse and blinks rapidly when the woman almost screeches in delight.

"Oh, you're so adorable!"

_Twitch._

Oh yes, she is going to take _so _much pleasure in pummeling Naruto to the ground when she gets back.

(She tries hard to ignore the voice that whispers, '_if' _she can get back).

* * *

Sakura stares at the man in front of her with half-interest and half-suspicion.

"Ah, Haruno-chan," She glances to the side and gives Kazuma Hiroshi, the hospital director, a flat glare before turning her gaze back to the disheveled looking man. "I'd like you to meet Nikaidou Yuu-san, a good friend of mine."

The brown-haired man in question gives a clumsy smile that seems all too forced and pushes up his glasses in greeting.

"Hello there, Haruno-san," The man – no, Nikaidou jumps up from his chair eagerly and grins goofily at her. "I'm so glad to finally meet you; I've heard many stories about you from Hiro-kun."

Sakura raises a single eyebrow at that and doesn't acknowledge the flushing doctor at her side. Instead, she casually glances at Nikaidou's messy bed-hair, his lopsided glasses and his clumsy stance.

Yet, despite all of these factors, Sakura only has to glance at the man once to realize that he is sharper, colder, and hiding a lot more that he gives on.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Nikaidou-san," Sakura greets cordially, nodding her head, but not bothering to stand up. She plasters on a polite smile perfected through years of acting as the Hokage's Apprentice, knowing that it hides more than what Nikaidou will ever be looking for.

An awkward silence protrudes the lounge as Sakura speaks no more, seemingly perfectly content to continue smiling at the still standing man.

Nikaidou coughs unsurely and sits slowly back down.

Briefly, Sakura thinks back at her complied information of this new world. It hasn't even been three weeks since arriving in this strange universe and already, Sakura can feel the toll on her body because of the lack of healthy chakra in the surrounding areas.

There's just too much change, too many different things, and the amount of cultural shock Sakura has gone through is enough to send a normal person into insanity.

(The first time she sees a _car_, for example, is the first and last time the hospital folks ever leaves her alone outside of the sterile building – and it is not for her own sake).

But Sakura is not a normal person. She is a kunoichi, a _shinobi. _She is a ninja, and a soldier of her Village above all else, and she will not succumb to wherever the hell this time-space warp jutsu has sent her to.

(There was enough of that during the war, thank you very much).

She begins to suspect that, ironically enough, it is all thanks to the crazy events in the war that lets her be as flexible with the impossible as she is now.

"- so, what do you think, Haruno-chan?" Sakura sharply raises her eyes to the doctor and ignores him as he swallows a small gulp.

"I'm sorry," She smiles apologetically and blinks, embarrassed. "I was distracted; can you repeat that again, please?"

"Of course, Sakura-san," This time, it is Nikaidou that enters the conversation, all smiles and clumsiness. "Hiro-kun and I were just talking about how I was looking for a child to adopt. I've been to a bunch of orphanages, of course, but none of the children there really spoke out to me. And then, just a few days ago, I heard about you from Hiro-kun here, and I thought it would be a great idea to meet the lovely pink-haired child the hospital adores taking care of."

_A smooth talker,_ Sakura notes dispassionately, but even then, there's a hint of trepidation hiding underneath all the calculations in her mind. It's always the nice ones you have to watch for.

"So, what do you think, Haruno-chan?" Hiroshi asks, after a few awkward minutes of silence becomes too much for him to bear. "A new home and a new family; wouldn't that be great?"

_Too fast, _she thinks frantically. Shouldn't there be a more legal way of handling this?

Though frankly speaking, Sakura is a literal nobody in this world; no records, no documents, and certainly nobody to really certify that she is a living being here. And this makes her a perfect target for those looking to take a child away for more nefarious purposes.

But she can understand why the doctor is so eager to rid of her. Sakura, though eleven in body, is an adult and a shinobi; the latter of whom do not exist in this world anymore. Her personality, her actions, her way of handling situations and just about _everything_ about her screams 'different and wrong' to the rest of society. This isn't even including her determination to get drunk and her forceful, sarcastic way of talking.

So it would make sense that the whole hospital doesn't really want her anymore. The fact that she's an adorable, weak, helpless little girl hardly matters in the face that she _does not belong_.

(There's a small sliver of hurt that bangs at the old scar in her heart and it screams silently at her. It screeches that she's useless, that she's not wanted, that she's not important, that there are so many people worth more than what she could ever hope to possibly be.

She crushes that hurt and puts it away for a time when she is alone and _truly alone_).

"Oh, wow," Sakura stutters – and some of it is not faked – as she looks shyly up at the curly-haired man. "This is really sudden."

Nikaidou gives a benign smile and opens his arms in a not-offended way.

"Of course, I understand. Please, take your time to think about it. I know it's a lot to ask of you in this short amount of time."

Sakura beams in reply and dons a thoughtful look for a good ten seconds. And in a manner that is truly childish, no matter how you look at it, she quickly brightens up and pretends to decide right then and there.

"I made my decision!" Hiroshi and Nikaidou both lean forward in anticipation to appease the eager look plastered on her young face. "I've decided; I shall live with you, Nikaidou-san, because you seem like a very nice man. But if I don't like you, I get to come back to the hospital."

A bit simpler than what she wanted, but a lengthier demand would have had anyone – even in this world – suspicious.

Nikaidou beams in happiness and shakes the back of his head abashedly as his friend sighs in relief.

"I'm so happy, Sakura-san! Ah, since we're practically family now, is it okay if I call you Sakura-chan? You can call me Yuu-oji-san."

Ignoring all the warning bells in her head for accepting the companionship of a suspicious character, ignoring her trepidations about entering a new _world_ so suddenly, and ignoring her sudden weariness and loneliness as the only ninja in existence: Sakura takes the man's offered hand with her own small hand.

"Of course, Yuu-oji-san."

The larger hand around her own tightens till it is border-line painful to stay in its grip. But Haruno Sakura has handled much worse than a skinny, clumsy man with suspicious intentions, and so she tightens her own hand back.

The two smile at each other with saccharine smiles; one with a sense of victory and the other with predatory teeth.

Now, whose smile is whose?

_The start of a new world; but no matter what, I _will_ find my way back. _

* * *

**A short prologue to start off Sakura's adventure in this world; I wanted this to be crack, but it seems the logical (well, almost logical) side of me wants to make this crossover reasonable. At least. I hope you enjoyed it, and comments are always, of course, appreciated. **

**Regards,**

**Searching. For. Enadi.**


	2. II School, Shells, and Sparkles

**SE: I don't even know anymore. Enjoy this slightly filler chapter. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: No.**

* * *

**II. School, Shells and Sparkles.**

"School?"

"Mm-hm." Nikaidou watches carefully behind his glasses as Sakura shovels a plateful of eggs into her mouth. "You don't have a problem with learning; in fact, I think you're more intelligent that most your age. It's too bad your amnesia interfered with your basic understanding of basic history and geography. Not to mention a lot of other things. But I'm positive you'll fit right in."

Sakura in return does not give a single reaction to his words and instead downs her cup of milk before looking curiously up at her pseudo-uncle.

"You think so, Yuu-oji-san?" The man nods cheerfully as the calculated look in his eyes disappears in a nano-second. Sakura gets up from her stool and skips over to the frying pan on top the stove. "Seconds, Oji-san?"

"No thank you, Sakura-chan." For a moment, Sakura sees from her peripheral view Nikaidou raise his eyes in appraisement. "Aren't you afraid you'll get fat?"

"Of course!" Sakura exclaims while sitting back down with a filled plate of toast, bacon, eggs, and strawberries. "That's why I run around town all the time!"

"Eh… I guess that's a pretty smart way of staying fit!" And then the two let out a peal of laughter, while chatting about nonsensical things and essentially, playing the part of a happy family perfectly.

The subject of corporal education is left aside and forgotten by the time Sakura heads out for her daily morning run and Nikaidou enters the basement for whatever work he supposedly does.

But it does not leave either side's mind, and sometimes, Sakura wonders if she should have given an answer at that time.

* * *

As she jogs around town, Sakura eases up her pace and lets her body take over for her, allowing her to take a meditative look on the past few weeks.

Her transition into this world was smooth, easy, and suspiciously enough, _fast. _Only two days after introducing Sakura to his modest abode, Nikaidou, over a simple dinner of fish and rice, presented papers that looked far more complicated than what a mere forty-eight hours should create.

(Though all she did back then was exclaim her amazement at the pristine, foreign papers, Sakura takes the time to burn their entire official looking titles into her memory for future reference).

And after taking a week to drool over the treasure trove that was the local library, and fumble through the advanced technology of a _computer_, Sakura has gleaned from the little information available to her that such a task takes time, energy, and most importantly of all, connections.

Adoption papers, papers from an orphanage that she has never lived in, a passport, and so much more that Sakura can barely understand what they all imply.

But she does understand. And that is that Nikaidou is much more than what he seems.

_Shreeeeeek!_

Sakura freezes all of her muscles and jumps gracefully back to avoid the speeding car passing by her. She glances around and curses in her mind for her inattentiveness. With narrowed eyes, she takes in the rushing cars and the people waiting impatiently on the side of the road.

Gritting her teeth and pushing down her wounded pride at not knowing _anything _about this world, Sakura approaches a friendly-looking woman of forty and asks,

"Excuse me, but when exactly do the cars stop moving?"

Sakura subtly widens her eyes and the confusion on her face is not faked at all. The woman recovers surprisingly quickly from Sakura's apparently strange question and answers hesitantly,

"Oh, I'm, um, waiting for the pedestrian lights to signal it safe to walk."

A bit of prodding and Sakura soon learns all about traffic lights and sidewalks and stop signs and – to the woman's insistence – how to be safe when near the road. She devours the information with childish eyes and a calculating mind, the strange looks around her be damned.

She knew these runs around town would be useful.

* * *

A month after her untimely arrival to this new world, Nikaidou approaches Sakura with an intriguing question.

She is sitting outside, admiring the limited but budding vegetation. Spring is just around the corner, and Sakura cannot help but be fascinated by the new plants and medicine this world has to offer.

(She wonders if the hospital she originally came from has realized that she stole one of their first-aid kits on the day of her departure. Hopefully they will not miss it too much; Sakura has only just began to analyze the fascinating wonders of this word's common medicine).

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing outside when it's so cold?"

Sakura allows her body to jump slightly in response to the presence she has felt since fifteen minutes ago.

"Oji-san! You scared me! And what are you talking about? The weather is simply perfect."

Their conversation then runs its course as they talk about their day and tonight's dinner, and it all seems monotonous and mundane until Nikaidou casually asks,

"Sakura-chan, what is your dream?"

The question is not misplaced. They had already entered the subject of future careers and such, and the question is innocuous enough for a guardian to ask his young charge.

It is the glint behind Nikaidou's seemingly hidden eyes that give him away. He is far too interested in this question and the answer she will give him.

Clinically, she observes his strained smile and his focused eyes that are trained solely on her face, instead of trailing to look at his surroundings as he usually does when holding a normal conversation.

Sakura ignores the restless nervous energy that clings to her heart; she tunes out the voice that shrieks at her to rid the man of his suspicious intentions that could get her killed, the voice that tells her she is never safe, that everyone is an enemy, and that she can trust no one.

(The voice that she could never get rid of, after the war).

She turns back to the smiling young man and considers his question.

_What is my dream?_

_To become the best medic in the world .To never let my precious people suffer. To never give up when all is lost, because that's what Naruto did, when a beast with power beyond what man could comprehend nearly destroyed the world. _

_To never let go of who I am. To forgive but never forget. _

_To find my friends, my family, my home. _

Sakura ponders over her thoughts, and gives Nikaidou a sincere smile for once.

"Hm… I guess, to travel the world, Yuu-oji-san."

_To find a way back home. _

Briefly taking note of Nikaidou's cheerful but hasty departure, Sakura looks up to sky and notes dispassionately that the starts are not as bright as they are in Konoha.

But still, this world does have its merits.

Perhaps it's time to start being proactive for once; Kami knows daily runs are not going to cut it anymore.

* * *

Four weeks later finds Sakura tugging at the impractical uniform of Seiyo Academy.

Apparently, Nikaidou had taken her silence as acquiescence to enroll her into a school, and though his sneaky ways do not surprise her anymore, it is the specific school that leaves her a bit apprehensive.

Though Sakura is all for exercise and staying fit (she _has _taken to joining numerous dojos in hopes of making up for all that muscle loss), Seiyo Academy is the fourth closest school near Nikaidou's house.

Meaning, it is quite a distance for a normal civilian child of Sakura's (apparent) age.

But Sakura makes no note of it out loud, and Nikaidou does not give an explanation.

(Sakura realizes that this is how life usually goes with Nikaidou; though there is not much she can do about it as of now).

"Excited?" Nikaidou pops his head into her nearly barren room with a lopsided smile and disheveled hair.

Sakura hums and picks up Seiyo's impractical bag (the strap is too long and the buckle inside wastes so much energy when you only have seconds to deal with the enemy -).

"A bit nervous, actually," And for once, Sakura gives Nikaidou the honest truth; but it is _for _the children, and not because that has Sakura nervous. What if she loses control of her emotions, her temper?

One slip-up with a 'playful' punch will leave Sakura with one dead child and too many questions that _cannot _be answered.

But she masks those emotions away and puts on the perfect shinobi front, because apprehension aside, she _knows _she can pull this off.

She has to.

_("Sakura-chan, what are you talking about? You're one of the best shinobi I've ever met! Of course you can do it!"). _

Letting out a shaky breath, she allows this one moment of weakness in front of Nikaidou because the man will probably assume it's from first-day nerves that all young children tend to have.

She can do this.

_Just – Just consider it a reconnaissance mission, Sakura. Information is vital, after all. And what better way is there than to learn from a school?_

What better way indeed.

* * *

Apparently, in Seiyo Academy, transfer students are rare. There's a primary, elementary, middle, and high school section that encompasses all ages, so there are hardly any new faces during the school year.

So. Transfer students are rare. Even with the start of the new school year, children are straining to get a good look at Sakura's face as she stands in front of the classroom, as if she's a new specimen on display.

"Wow, another transfer student!"

"She has pink hair, too!"

"I wonder if she's related to Hinamori-san!"

Ignoring the whispered statements and the not-so-subtle glances, Sakura takes quick note of this 'Hinamori' (and oh, the girl really does have pink hair) before grabbing a piece of chalk. She writes her name confidently and surely, letting the years of calligraphy and fuinjutsu run over her like refreshing water.

"Good morning," Sakura states, as the whole classroom instantly silences at the sound of Sakura's calm and collected voice. "My name is Haruno Sakura, and I will be your classmate from now on."

She gives a brief nod as she catches the gaze of every single student.

"I hope we can get along."

Sakura once again ignores all the stares and nods as the hesitant teacher asks her to sit near the corner in the back. Taking note of the eyes that trail after her, Sakura situates herself into the desk near the window and takes a moment to find every single exit available to her in this room.

Giving a small smile to Hinamori on her left, Sakura sits smoothly down and pulls out a notebook, completely ready to immerse herself into this fragile world.

* * *

Word gets out quickly that Seiyo Academy has another transfer student (apparently, Hinamori arrived at this school only a few months ago), and Sakura soon finds that rumors, no matter the age or world, will always prevail.

"I heard that she's the heiress to a big-shot company in France –"

" – She probably has a job as a part-time model – "

"Kyaaa – Look at her; She's reading such a complicated book!"

"Apparently, a bunch of top-notch colleges has already offered her scholarships!"

"Look at that pink hair! She's probably Hinamori-san's long lost cousin!"

Sighing as she takes note of the staring children (from both her class and others), Sakura easily pays them no mind as she looks over her notes and the extra medical books she was able to gather from the high school library a few miles away.

Interestingly enough, there are hundreds of countries and just as many languages as well in this world. Japanese schools take care to teach the younger generations another language (usually English), and Sakura finds it amazing how easily she can create codes just by using a different language.

She vows to take out extra English books from the nearby library as soon as possible.

"There's no doubt about it! Hinamori-san and Haruno-san are definitely related!"

With a snap, Sakura closes her textbook on cell division and immediately, the escalating noise dies into utter silence.

Calmly still, Sakura gazes coolly into the eyes of the amassed students crowding around the classroom door in irritation.

_My tolerance with annoying brats can only go so far. _

"While I appreciate the welcome from each and every one of you," Sakura watches with petty satisfaction as the children wince at her freezing voice. "I think it is quite rude for you all to goggle at my face; it is quite bothersome for myself, Hinamori-san, and the rest of my classmates."

To make it even clearer that she will _not _tolerate blatant staring, Sakura narrows her eyes and adds in,

"You are welcome to ask questions, but if all you plan to do is stand and stare at my face: I must ask that you leave."

Sakura lets the temperature in the room lower even more.

"Immediately."

Not even a moment passes before the once crowded doorway is void of all human beings, and Sakura exhales in exasperation as whispers start again.

She turns to the pink-haired girl to her left and dips her head in apology.

"I apologize for this inconvenience, Hinamori-san." Sakura pauses and smiles a little abashedly. "I didn't expect the rest of the school to act this way."

Hinamori waves away the apology with a bored face and only glances at Sakura before turning her gaze back outside the window.

"It's fine," Is the girl's succinct response, and Sakura raises an eyebrow, because clearly, the girl is anything but fine. Hinamori might be an adequate actor, but as the best friend of psychology genius like Ino, the child's eyes tell it all.

Hinamori's eyes tell Sakura that the girl is in awe, in fear, and in hope.

Sakura can spend a whole day analyzing Hinamori and probably find the right answers to each of those emotions, but she instead leaves the girl be.

The child is just a civilian, after all.

* * *

Sakura blinks as small flare of energy bursts out from the middle of the auditorium.

"Yes! I'm sorry for what I said before! The truth is, I like you, prince!"

_Was that – _

Sakura frowns as whispers break out across the whole student body. Only a few weeks into the new term and Hinamori is already causing a commotion.

Siting back properly into her chair, Sakura considers that small burst of energy.

_From what I've seen, Hinamori is a girl far too shy to make an open declaration like that in front of the school. And there's no mistake about it; that energy that made her act like that…_

Huh.

Sakura lifts the corners of her mouth as she relaxes into her seat. After months of passively waiting, she has finally found some sort of lead.

_Chakra. There is chakra in this world. _

* * *

"It's okay! See? Regular people can't see Guardian Characters."

Sakura stares blankly at the little flying person with pom-poms in its hands. Indeed, while the – what was it? – _Guardian Character exudes_ to the brim with chakra, it feels a bit different from what Sakura is familiar with.

Her hands twitch and Sakura tries to contain the urge to grab the specimen and examine it from head to toe.

Where did this little character come from anyway?

Sakura glances at the slightly panicked Hinamori and sighs.

Of course it is Hinamori; the girl never seems to catch a break.

She watches in amusement as Hinamori defies physics and gravity to spin multiple times in the air. Though Sakura can easily do a stunt like that as well, it's interesting to see someone as skinny as Hinamori pull it through with just a burst of unbalanced chakra.

* * *

Sakura pauses in the hallway to look at the floating character outside. Smiling slightly in surprise, it only takes a second of hesitation before Sakura casually walks out the door, and approaches the Guardian Character.

This one is a bit different from the pink-one with a sports hat, as it is instead drawing lazily across a tiny notebook in concentration.

"Hello there," Sakura greets with a smile. There is only the sound of pencil scratching against paper as the little person assumes Sakura is not talking to it. A few minutes of silence pass as the character slowly stops drawing and turns in surprise to Sakura.

Sakura in turn lifts up a hand gently in greeting, and says again,

"Hello, my name is Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you." The character hesitates for a moment before softly landing on top of Sakura's hand and dips its hat in return.

"Hello," It – She, Sakura realizes, after hearing its voice – replies with a soft but bland voice. "My name is Miki."

"Miki," Sakura tests the name out and smiles again. "That's a wonderful name."

The Guardian Character turns slightly pink but nods her head in thanks.

"Thank you."

Sakura relaxes slightly as the feel of chakra softly pulses from the character's body, and she gives a more genuine smile.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, Miki-san, but who exactly are you?"

And thus commences the long explanation about Guardian Characters and Eggs, and inner hearts that all children have inside of them.

* * *

"… I see. So if Hinamori-san does not quickly believe in herself and in you, you will soon disappear."

Sakura frowns as Miki nods her head in agreement.

"That's right." Miki does not question how Sakura can see the Guardian Character when Sakura does not even have one, and for that, Sakura is glad. It seems as the people here who have this special power to Character Change and Transform assume the energy is magic, rather than chakra. And Sakura can see why; the chakra here is rather sparkly and free-spirited, as if it has a mind of its own.

Gosh, if Sasuke could see this now. His eyes would go blind with his all-seeing Sharingan at sight of this sort of chakra.

"Perhaps," Sakura hesitates, because she is not sure if it is her right to enter someone else's business. "Perhaps Hinamori-san is simply confused. Surely she does not know what having a Guardian Character entails. Maybe if you explained it to her like you did for me, she would be more understanding."

Miki stops drawing her sketch of Sakura to look back at the woman-turned-child in child-like hope.

"You think so?"

Sakura looks fondly at the shy introverted character and begins to stand, mourning already the loss of friendly chakra that exudes from the tiny person's body.

"Well, it won't hurt to try, right?"

* * *

Sakura return to the arts and crafts room without fanfare, and sits down in front of Hatoba Yuki, and dips her head in apology.

"I'm sorry, Hatoba-san," Sakura smiles a little embarrassedly. " A teacher stopped me before I could head back to class, and we talked for a while."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Haruno-san." Hatoba laughs reassuringly and gestures at her own blank portrait. "We have enough time to finish each other's portraits. And you can call just call me Yuki, you know."

Sakura grins back, somewhat pleased to have a friendly relationship with someone, even if she was ten years her junior.

"Then please, call me Sakura, Yuki-san," Laughing away Yuki's insistence to change the suffix to something more familiar, Sakura listens amusedly as her new friend recounts Hinamori's amazing talent at drawing.

Dimly, in the back of her mind, Sakura finds herself wondering if she will ever find a way back home. The chakra here is so different that what she is familiar with, and weeks of research brought nothing familiar of the space-time travel sort.

Being a shinobi is a tough occupation, indeed.

_Sometimes, I wish I could just fly across the worlds and land back in Konoha._

_I wish I could just let loose and break the ground, like the good old days. Where I could punch someone in the face and not have to worry about the consequences. Where I could heal till my body reached exhaustion, and where I could fight and spar with my teammates._

_Or at least, _Sakura grimaces as she looks back at her still developing muscles.

_I wish I could have my old body back. _

* * *

"Hm. While I did think all of those things, I didn't actually expect something like this to happen."

Sakura blinks rapidly at the phenomenon in front of her, and takes a deep breath. Trying not to scream at how illogical this is, she lifts up the egg on top of her bed and prods it hesitantly.

As if burned, Sakura leaps back and instinctively moves into a defensive stance.

_Holy crap, it's warm!_

She takes in the sight of the light pink egg and hesitantly, reaches forward and picks it up. Examining the design, Sakura notes approvingly of Konoha's symbol etched on to the bottom and goes on to trace a finger briefly over the cherry blossom flowers sketched all around edge of the egg.

"Will wonders never cease," Sakura thinks briefly out loud before smiling grimly at the egg.

The egg, as if sensing Sakura's bitter but hopeful thoughts, twitches slightly in response before remaining completely still.

* * *

**SE: And... done. Finally, we get to see Sakura immerse herself into the world of Shugo Chara, and bring chaos into its world. **

**Comments or thoughts?**

**Regards,**

**Searching. For. Enadi.**


End file.
